Bruins spoil home opener, take advantage of defensive errors.

Despite the Matadors taking a lead 40 seconds into the game thanks to senior Scarlett Perry’s goal, whenever MVHS scored, Santa Clara responded with goals of their own to stave off any possible rally which resulted in a 14-10 season opening defeat. Santa Clara tied the game a couple of minutes later and started a back and forth battle between the teams. With 3:34 left in the first period, the Bruins earned a penalty shot and converted, taking a 3-2 lead. But it was brief, as goals from seniors Kylie Constant and Gayatri Ketavarapu gave the Lady Mats a one goal advantage.

Shortly after the second period began, Santa Clara struck to even things up at 4-4. However, a shot from the center line by senior Samantha Quevedo found the net to give MVHS the lead with 4:43 left. Constant upped the lead with a flip of the ball over her head, but Santa Clara halved the lead with a close-range shot at 3:42. Ketavarapu was penalized for a holding penalty and with one second left for her exclusion the Bruins tied the game. After a MVHS shot came off the crossbar, Santa Clara went on a fast break to take their first lead since the middle of the first period.

“I think that we played really well because this is our first time playing together as an entire team,” s Ketavarapu said, “but we made mistakes I know we could’ve avoided.”

Seventeen seconds into the fourth quarter, a MVHS shot went errant and got onto the pool deck. Senior Iraa Guleria was replaced in goal for the last two periods by junior Hanna Severetti. The Bruins scored in a flurry, adding three goals in the span of two and a half minutes as the Lady Mats defense lapsed at a crucial time. Junior Nicole Deacon made it 10-7 with a mid-range shot. When MVHS needed a string of goals, they came up empty as Santa Clara responded with goals after MVHS cut into the lead.

“Nobody,” coach Cyrus Kahangi said, “stood out head and shoulders above the others.” when asked who performed the best.

Disregarding this game, Kahangi thinks that the team could easily play for the league championship. Even after suffering a season-opening loss, the Matadors look to keep moving forward.

The Matadors next game is Thursday, September 18 away against Wilcox starting at 3 pm.